World Mental Health Day: Let’s Create Awareness and Invest in Mental Health

Mental Health: A Brief Overview

Mental health is not being given due importance in public health systems. According to WHO (World Health Organization), almost 90 million Indians, that means almost 7.5 % of our population has some kind of mental disorder or disability. Are we investing enough to tackle mental illness? We are still not able to accept the social stigma that mental health is a serious problem, and we need to talk, understand and diagnose this issue in great depths. According to NIMHANS, a premier institute dealing with mental ailments says almost 150 million people in our country need medical attention, but only 30 million can get the desired treatment. This is threatening, and we as citizens of the nation need to spread awareness, and the government should invest in mental health for the betterment of the population.

COVID and mental health:

COVID-19 pandemic is having a severe impact on the mental health of different individuals. Because of lockdown, people are not able to move, and in their homes, they are getting depressed. Most of them are developing tendencies to commit suicides as almost one crore people have lost jobs due to this pandemic. Mental health is being neglected to a great extent which is going severe impact on the health of citizens. The focus needs to be shifted to this arena of public health so that people can be treated and cured of mental sickness.

Tackling Mental health Issues:

Talk, speak and listen are three major important parameters which are a hallmark in the betterment of mental health. Sensitization of communities and societies needs to be done to break the social stigma surrounding the patients suffering from mental health issues. Educating the society and connecting with the patients are two major steps which should be followed to prevent mental health issues in the youth. People with mental health ailments do not speak up due to which a large amount of intervention from the family members and friends are required to make his mental health better. Consulting a psychiatrist for the same should be done at earliest for diagnosis and treatment of mental health.

How we act, our behaviour and our emotions decide whether we have mental health abnormality. People having mental health problems should be provided effective and safe treatment as patients suffering from physical diseases are provided. Awareness, proper intervention, education and meeting a doctor in case of mental health ailments and depression can only improve the situation of mental health in the country.

Well, on this day, we should understand the importance of mental health and should educate the societies and communities on different mental health issues for the betterment of the nation.